TEL AVIV – The Egyptian Military Council and the country’s secular opposition have rejected an Obama administration proposal to keep embattled President Mohamed Morsi in power as a transition leader until new elections can be held, according to a senior member of the council speaking to WND.

The Military Council member further said there was a feeling of distrust for the White House among the opposition and that the Obama administration was asked by protest leaders to “stay out of it.”

“The opposition feeling is the U.S. did enough to put the Muslim Brotherhood in power and then try to keep Morsi there,” said the council member. “The message sent to [U.S. Ambassador to Egypt] Anne Patterson was that this is an internal Egyptian matter and stay out of it.”

The council member said it was Patterson who delivered the Obama administration proposal to keep Morsi in office until new elections are set.

Protest leaders, who are calling for more mass demonstrations today, gave Morsi until 5 p.m. local time to step down from office.

The powerful Egyptian armed forces themselves yesterday gave Morsi an ultimatum of 48-hours to resolve the crisis or else they will introduce a plan for the country’s future.

“If the demands of the people are not realized within the defined period, it will be incumbent upon (the armed forces) to announce a road map for the future,” said the statement by General Adbel Fattah al-Sisi, the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

Also yesterday, the Washington Post reported Patterson herself became a target of opposition protesters in Egypt, with some waving signs telling her to “get out” and accusing her of secretly aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi.